


After the Conclave

by frerin



Series: Inquisition: The Life of Vaimah Glŵrin [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Amnesia, F/M, Gen, Gift Giving, Halamshiral (Dragon Age), Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Temporary Amnesia, Tumblr Prompt, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:09:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22559950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frerin/pseuds/frerin
Summary: A series of prompts covering the events of Dragon Age Inquisition
Relationships: Male Lavellan/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Inquisition: The Life of Vaimah Glŵrin [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620880
Kudos: 1





	1. A Letter from Athrin

Vaimah,

I have heard nothing of you since our last letters and it’s causing everyone to worry.

We have heard nothing of you since the conclave; you didn’t attend, did you? I hope this reaches you and you can return to us soon; I pray to the creators of our letters have been lost on travel in the mess and not the worst have happened to you. Faralen is beside herself not hearing from you, she wished me to send you a rather colourfully phrased message but she hopes you return soon too, she’s even asked me to help her learn to read and write properly so she can write you, but she never has any time for that anymore not with war spreading. We could all do with word from you Vai, the clan is missing you dearly,

Love, Mother.


	2. The Medical Files of Vaimah Glwrin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://serbarris.tumblr.com/post/189204146158/after-a-brief-assessment-at-haven-the-extent-of

After a brief assessment at Haven, the extent of the elf’s injuries has become apparent. In his clothes someone found a stitched name reading ‘Vaimah’ it is safe to assume this is likely the elf’s name and will be referred to as henceforth.

His memory loss is a great cause for concern, he definitely has no memory of the events surrounding the Conclave, or even of his own name. The true cause of the memory loss has yet to be determined, and the extent of the memory loss can be gathered once he awakens. The toll of stabilising the Breach has been great, any superficial injuries are healing nicely, any existing scars have healed well too, so it is safe to assume these shall also with the proper care.

I suggest Vaimah rests, and slowly re-introduces familiar people into his life, as well as attempting to stick to his old routine. However, being Dalish, this may be tricky without knowledge of his clan. He will need regular monitoring on his condition to make sure he is progressing well.

The case notes of a healer of Inquisitor Vaimah in 9:41 Dragon, written after the explosion of the Conclave


	3. Nightfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://serbarris.tumblr.com/post/186324161558/nightfall-for-the-micro-stories

“Hey Knives, how you holding up?” Varric asked as he sat next to Faralen.

She stared out into the distance where Vaimah stood, her eyes seeking out the changes since they had last seen each other all those months ago. His hair now had grey in it, a large streak was coming in at the peak of his hairline, a new scar cut across his right cheek in a jagged shape, like a fork of lightning. She could barely make them out as night fell upon them. These changes were superficial but reinforced the reality that Faralen had trouble facing the most. That the person she was closest to in the world didn’t really remember her, didn’t even remember his found family.

10 years, a whole decade of memories disappeared with a hit to the head. A decade in which the two had gone through so much. Too much death, some joy and their entire friendship wiped from memory.

“I was going to tell him I loved him,” Faralen admitted, leaning forward to stoke the fire. “When- if, if I ever saw him again,”

“Oh Knives, it’s taken you this long to realise?” Varric places a hand softly on Faralen’s shoulder in comfort, she surprisingly leans into the gesture, relaxing slightly. Her eyes were still fixed on the fire, anywhere but Vaimah.

“You only know what you had when it’s gone.” She replied, a defeated smile on her lips.

“He might look like the Inquisitor, but the Vaimah you know is not gone, he’s still in there.”


	4. Halamshiral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://serbarris.tumblr.com/post/185963743948/you-two-should-stick-together-josephine

“You two should stick together,” Josephine suggested, “that way you can stop each other from possibly saying something too… impertinent.”

Vaimah and Faralen glanced at each other with dread. They really didn’t want to do as Josephine suggested, the pair had barely spoken in the weeks following their argument, however, neither of them play The Game, the intricate routine for Orlesians as foreign to the two elves as Rivaini architecture.

But they stuck out their lessons, learning the histories of Orlesian nobles, dance routines and human etiquette. The pair spoke of little more than what was necessary in preparing for the Ball, the topic too tense and personal to try to tackle before such a critical event. Despite this, they bonded over the struggle to learn the human culture, the deep bows, gentle curtseys and polite conversation. They gained a rapport reminiscent of what they had just a month ago, but even that was nothing to their relationship before the Conclave.

The night was more intense than anyone would have suspected, preventing an assassination attempt had turned into a political fist-fight and Vaimah having the power to choose who reigns over Orlais. Afterwards, Vaimah stood on the balcony overlooking the palace gardens hoping for a moment’s peace after such an eventful evening.

“Inquisitor, sorry, I didn’t realise you were here,” Faralen said as she turned back into the ballroom, her dress catching the light and sparkling like the stars in the sky.

“Ambassador, please, stay.” Faralen approached him, keeping her distance at the balcony’s edge, noting Vaimah’s almost begging tone, and she’s reminded of Vaimah before the accident, the Vaimah who never wished to be alone in times of crisis, instead preferring company to reassure him of his decisions.

The weight of their history bared down on them, they both felt a shift tonight, one where they were less formal and tense around each other. No longer trying to tiptoe around the argument they had, but trying to move past it.

As she gazed down at the palace gardens, Faralen finally plucked up the courage to speak, her eyes locked on a feature in the distance while her fingers toy with a nearby flower. “This isn’t working.” She states, Vaimah’s eyes drifting to her face, confusion present on his features, but Faralen continues before he can speak. “It’s been months of me trying to teach you your own past, hoping that one will jog your memory, but absolutely bugger all’s happened so far, nothings working.”

The flower lay in tatters below Faralen’s fingers, Vaimah ached to reach out and grab her hand, he knew he shouldn’t, the situation they’re in is complicated enough without either party acting on any other feelings they might possess. Vaimah forgetting nearly the whole duration of their friendship put a deep strain on an already tense situation. They both stood there for a while, neither looking directly at the other, their attention focussed ahead. Vaimah knew it would have taken a lot of courage for Faralen to approach him like this. He might not have remembered his full past, but he has learnt a lot about how the ten-years-older- Faralen acts in the past few months. She’s more guarded than before, she acts more like her 17-year-old self when they can talk about the misadventures the two, along with Eilan and Tamlen, had when Vaimah had joined their clan. Around Vaimah- the Vaimah Faralen remembers from those adventures, the young twenty years old who had little to worry about, her words are much more measured and thought out than when she speaks to anyone else, even in her role as Dalish Ambassador. She struggles to see the young personality in the older body of the man who had stood by her side for over a decade, through hell and high-water. The man she loved. Vaimah knew she only opened up to people she feels fully comfortable with and as Eilan and Tamlen have passed, the only person she had left was himself.

“I miss you.” The words were barely audible as they came out of Faralen’s mouth. Vaimah started to feel awkward, since Faralen had begun speaking he’d said not a word, his mouth was dry and unsure of what to say in such a moment of honesty.

After a moments pause, Vaimah finally plucked up the courage to say something, anything, in response. “I’m sorry, I haven’t been the best student, I’m sorry I can’t remember anything, and I’m sorry I hurt you.”

Faralen finally looked at him, properly looked at him. Probably for the first time in months she realised the Vaimah she once knew was still there, behind the new scars and bravado of the Inquisitor, she knew it.

“Also, I know you said I was the more diplomatic of the two of us back in the clan, but you were in your element today.” He bumped his arm against Faralen’s shoulder in jest, “I think you even cracked a real smile earlier.”

“Hey, I smile sometimes.” She replied, turning her head to try to hide the smile that graced her lips while returning the bump to Vaimah’s shoulder.

“Not enough, and I feel awful if I’m the cause of that. I mean you obviously have a lot more going on than just worrying about me but-.”

“No, you’re right, it is because of you,” the sides of Vaimah’s mouth pulled downwards at the confirmation. “But it’s not your fault, you can’t help it.” Her hand moved to cover his reassuringly, squeezing just for a moment before she caught herself and removed her hand quickly, bringing it to wrap around herself, as the night air had started to chill her barely covered arms.

“Thanks, Rae.”

The pair stood in amicable silence for a while, both glad that the situation was somewhat solved between them, it would make their jobs easier to do. A cool breeze passed by and Faralen shivered, her Dalish influenced ball gown doing little to keep her warm. She began to regret not joining some of the other members of the Inquisition in wearing more practical and - more importantly – warm, clothing. The song from the ballroom started to die down, they both knew now would be the best time to return from the balcony without causing a disturbance during the next song, but neither began to move, both content to stay, even when the music started up once more.

“Would you like to dance Ambassador? It’ll warm you up.”


	5. Bauble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://serbarris.tumblr.com/post/186266077348/bauble-with-faralen  
> Set one year after Halamshiral

“For Yuletide,” Vaimah said, placing the box in Faralen’s hands, “since we couldn’t celebrate last year.” The box was small and light in her hands.

“Vaimah, you really didn’t have to, I don’t think even the Inquisitor is allowed to use resources to buy gifts.”

“Just open it, please.” Faralen did as he said. Inside the box was a small figurine of what looked like a couple. She pulled the figurine up by the ribbon attached between the figures’ two heads. She gasped as the details came into focus, the figurine was carved out of wood, so delicately intricate it could only have been made by Vaimah’s hands. The figurine was of a couple dancing in each other’s arms, Faralen knew if the wooden figurine was painted, and not subtlety stained, that the elven male would wear a uniform of royal blue with gold trim with a pale gold sash across his chest. The female would have auburn hair and be wearing a dress as dark as night, that sparkled like the stars. It always shocked her how steady Vaimah’s large hands could be, and how easily he managed to carve the most fragile-looking patterns into wood. The fabric of the female’s dress looked like it was moving as the figurine gently swayed as Faralen gripped it by the ribbon.

“Vaimah is this..?” Faralen couldn’t find the words, she knew the answer, she didn’t have to ask, but she had to know for definite.

“Yes.”

Faralen’s hand clasped around the figurine as she moved closer to Vaimah, going on tiptoes she placed a kiss somewhat near his cheek, before quickly pulling away. “Thank you,” was the last thing out of her mouth before she made her way to her own office, leaving a stunned Vaimah to stare after her as he raised a hand to his blushing cheek.


	6. "I might never get another chance to say this."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://serbarris.tumblr.com/post/186487818553/28-for-faralen-or-vaimah-hi-so-im-an-idiot

Faralen paced around her office while picking at her nails. They had confirmed it earlier at the War Table. The final battle against Corypheus’s army would be in the Abor Wilds within the fortnight. The Inquisitor was set to leave Skyhold in a few days to gather more resources and support for the fight, before joining his own army in the Wilds.

The risks of the battle were huge, no one knew the terrain well, according to Leliana people of all races have avoided the Wilds for hundreds of years. This knowledge left Faralen with a decision to make. Despite all their differences and misgivings since being reunited in the Emerald Graves just a couple of years ago, the pair had grown close again. Their relationship closer to the days before Vaimah’s memory loss, of course, Faralen doubted Vaimah’s feelings were the same as they were all those years ago, but she knew her feelings to be the same.

And so, after consulting with the people she considered most versed in romance (novels) she decided to rectify the confession she had made around a year ago. That confession had been a drunken, angry declaration. She had almost begged with her anger for Vaimah to love her too, for his old self to come back to her. The one she knew loved her too, has loved her for many years.

The past year had been hard, after their series of arguments Vaimah's and Faralen had tried to not let expectations impede their work, then friendship, and now… now Faralen wondered if Vaimah considered her something more. She refused to let her consider the possibility further; she had no true basis for the thought other than the way he’d look at her sometimes, which was so reminiscent of their time back at Sundermount or Amaranthine.

Faralen knew she couldn’t let Vaimah walk into a gauntlet of death without properly expressing her feelings for a final time. She owed it to herself more than anyone else, all those years she and Vaimah missed out on because Vaimah was too shy and considerate to voice his feelings to her. The years they had missed because Faralen didn’t realise the extent of her feelings until he was gone, possibly for good.

Faralen only stopped pacing when a scout walked in with a schedule for the next fortnight, her head was running wild with the scraps of sentences she could use in the conversation she wanted with Vaimah. She briefly glanced at the parchment, her eyes widening. Vaimah was leaving the next day. She rushed from her office, barging through doors and occasionally slowing down when she saw a diplomat or patron of the Inquisition since apparently they’re always playing The Game.

When she got to Vaimah’s quarters she paused for a moment before knocking and entering the vast room. He was stood by one of the vast windows overlooking the mountains. At the sound of footsteps, he turned slightly. Anything he was about to say was cut off by Faralen.

“Vaimah, I might never get another chance to say this.”


	7. "Say it again"

_“Say it again,” Faralen demanded as tears built in her eyes, she couldn’t believe her ears._

_“I love you. I’ve loved you for years, ever since you fought your way to be a hunter, to command your own team to leading an entire clan. I’ve loved you since I managed to make you truly laugh for the first time since the Blight. Since we were reunited, I wondered how the fuck I was meant to be in love with you. But then I fell all over again.”_

It wasn’t exactly the way Faralen expected this conversation to go. She walked into Vaimah’s quarters with purpose, and she ended up being blindsided by Vaimah professing his love first. As Faralen debated going to Vaimah’s quarters he had debated doing the same. She looked at him directly, slowly moving forward to close the gap between them, “I was about to tell you the same thing.”

Vaimah reached forward to cup Faralen’s face in his hand, he could feel the heat of the blush on her cheeks as he studied her face. He dipped his head ever so slightly, so they could feel each other's breath on their lips, “Say it.” he murmured, his lips threatening to close the gap between them for good. 

“I love you Vaimah.” he closed the gap instantly, taking her lips in his, Faralen’s hands snaked to loop around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Their kiss felt like it lasted a lifetime, a lifetime of emotions bundled into a single moment where it was truly just the two of them. Vaimah’s arms encircled Faralen’s waist, lifting her up slightly to bridge the height difference and save his neck from pain later. Now he could deepen the kiss, it consuming his senses, and let out a moan as their bodies tried to press closer together, even though it was impossible through their clothing. 

Gasping for air they reluctantly pulled apart, and the reality of their life dawned on them. Tomorrow Vaimah left for the last fight against Corypheus. Faralen would join the Inquisition forces shortly before they hoped to end this, but a lot could happen in those few days that would separate them. “Vai... you leave tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“I don’t want to lose you again. I can’t.” 

“You won’t.” Vaimah declared. He knew it was an impossible thing to promise. Any number of things could happen in the coming days, any number of ways he could not come back.

But for now, until tomorrow, they had each other.


End file.
